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          Vikings' D.J. Wonnum scores 51-yard TD off Bryce Young fumble

          • Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterOct 1, 2023, 07:03 PM
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              Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
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          CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Sometimes, you need touchdowns from unlikely sources. And with their offense struggling Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings got just that.

          Outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum scooped up a fumble by Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and rumbled 51 yards in the third quarter to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 14-13. Young had been sacked by veteran safety Harrison Smith after the Panthers had driven into Vikings territory.

          The score doubled the output of the Vikings' offense to that point, and it continued a remarkable turnaround. The Vikings' defense allowed 445 passing yards in Week 3 to the Los Angeles Chargers and 259 rushing yards in Week 2 to the Philadelphia Eagles, only the fifth time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that a defense had allowed that combination (or more) in consecutive weeks of the regular season.